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Bentusi
from Homeworld]] '', from ''Homeworld 2]] The '''Bentusi' are a race of space-faring technology traders, who help the Kushan fleet in their quest to find Hiigara. Calling themselves the Unbound, the Bentusi are a very ancient, wise race who do not claim any planet for themselves, instead opting to live exclusively among the stars. It is interesting to note that it would probably be impossible for the Bentusi to even survive outside of their ships, given that they are physically connected to them. The Bentusi are one of the three races to possess far jump cores, along with the Vaygr and Kushan. Although the Bentusi are one of the most technologically advanced races in the Homeworld universe, they choose to remain peaceful unless their tradeships are attacked. This does not stop them from selling and trading powerful combat technology with other races, though. It is revealed in Homeworld 2 that 3000 years before the events of Homeworld the Hiigaran Empire became distraught from political pressure between them and the Taiidan. After a series of events, the Hiigarans faced off against Bentus, in an attempt to acquire a second core and thus an upper hand in power. As a consequence they were soundly beaten by the Bentusi, enabling the vengeful Taiidan to conquer Hiigara which later resulted in the Hiigarans exile, with some of them ultimately finding their way to the desert planet of Kharak. As such, the Bentusi are indirectly responsible for the Hiigaran exile, and were compelled to help the Kushans in their quest to reach their Homeworld. History The earliest known event in Bentusi history was when the Bentusi discovered the the First Hyperspace core in a massive Progenitor ship, becoming the first known race to acquire hyperspace technology. Fortunately, the Bentusi used this new-found technology to keep order and peace in the galaxy. Fall of The Bentusi In Homeworld 2, Karen S'jet commented that Bentus is "the last of the Bentusi." It's suggestive that the Bentusi race is in decline for some unexplained reason(s). It's not clear if this meant that Bentus is all that's left of the Bentusi in the known galaxy or the last of their species, because in Homeworld: Cataclysm, most of the Bentusi ships escape the galaxy because of their fear of The Beast, an ancient monster capable of taking control over other life forms. Towards the final moments of the destruction of Bentus, the Bentusi also hinted that they are the last as they said "this is our legacy to you," before their demise. While it's still debatable if the Bentusi have been wiped out of existence, it's evident that the Bentusi no longer have the powerful influence amongst the stars which they once wielded. It is suggested in Homeworld that the Taiidan attacked the Bentusi for assisting the Kushan. The Unbound This is the title the Bentusi give to themselves, indicating a sense of pride in their lack of a home planet, or perhaps some other aspect. In Homeworld: Cataclysm it is hinted that Unbound may actually refer to freedom from organic restraints, perhaps contributing to a higher sense of being. They refer quite obviously (though out of context) to Karan S'jet being Unbound. Because of this, many fans believe that the term Unbound may possess more than one meaning and may mean more than the 'mere' ability to travel through space at faster-than-light speeds. It may also refer to how she was physically integrated into the Mothership, much like the Bentusi are with their ships, thus making the physical body one with the ship. When The Beast entity attempts to consume a Bentusi vessel in Homeworld: Cataclysm, the Bentusi self-destruct. They are completely disgusted and repulsed by the Beast's infection, refusing to be "bound". The Beast's infection, on how it affects the Bentusi is referred to as a fate worse than death. They 'die' yet they are not 'dead', and are slowly corrupted by the Beast organism, leaving them trapped and used against their own will. This is possibly different to how the Beast infects normal races as they are used as biomass in all Beast ships. Capabilities Prior to the Hiigaran exile, the Bentusi were a prominent military force in the Homeworld universe. They had emerged early on the galactic stage, and were the first race to discover a far-jumper, a powerful hyperspace core capable of hurling ships over incredible distances. Using the power of the far-jumper, the Bentusi quickly established the Old Trade Routes, and spread their influence across the galaxy. Soon after the establishment of the Trade Routes, the Bentusi took upon themselves the mantle of "Galactic Peacekeepers". Using the far-jumper housed in their mothership, Bentus, the Bentusi could send their entire fleet to quell interplanetary wars with their superior technology. However, many systems did not like being little more than protectorates of the Bentusi, and began conspiring with other planets to bring an end to the Bentusi's "tyranny". Almost overnight, dozens of wars broke out across the galaxy. The Bentusi fleet, though indisputably powerful, could not tend to every incident at once. As the dust settled, several new Empires had been created, and the Galactic Council was formed. The Bentusi's reign had ended. Perhaps the most drastic example of Bentusi military doctrine can be seen in the depiction of the historical standoff between Hiigaran and Bentusi forces. The Bentus, after having taken significant but phaseless fire from Hiigaran ships, activated its far-jumper, wrenching the Bentusi fleet from nearby staging grounds. As the fight went on, the Bentus made use of its far-jumper to make tactical jumps purely to pursue "Sajuuk's Wrath" around the battlefield. The Hiigarans also utilized a far-jumper, but in their inexperience, and the sheer technological superiority of the Bentusi one-to-one, led to their defeat. After the Hiigaran exile, the Bentusi "demilitarized" their fleets, however their ships still retain formidable firepower. Homeworld: Cataclysm introduced the super-acolyte fighter, a swift assault craft sporting smaller Ion Cannons. If one assumes continuity between Homeworld and Homeworld 2 (an assumption debated over by fans of the series), then the power of the original Bentusi fleet must have been unparalleled. Bentusi ships have only been seen armed with beam weaponry. The Bentusi also have a unparalleled array of information at their disposal, and in the original Homeworld sold a wide variety of technologies, such as the ion cannon to the Kushan exiles. They require resources (RUs) in return for this technology. What the Bentusi do with the resources is unknown. The information that the Bentusi have could also extend to that of a Progenitor level, repairing the Progenitor Dreadnaught's phase cannon array after it was used successfully against a Vaygr attack fleet, but becoming irreparably damaged. In Homeworld Cataclysm, the Bentusi successfully repaired the Kuun-Lan's Siege Cannon by installing superconducting heat-sinks, which enabled the cannon to fire repeatedly. The Bentusi also complimented Kiith Somtaaw for finding such a weapon, being impressed by the skill in how the lesser races created it. However, Kiith Somtaaw did not create a weapon like this, it was salvaged in a sector of space where a battle was supposedly fought by another race, in an area surrounded by mines. Bentusi Ships Exchange: Bentusi Exchanges, or simply Tradeships, are one of the most recognizable ships in the Homeworld universe. They are massive, mothership class vessels (although in Homeworld: Cataclysm, they are reduced to Carrier class). Their exteriors are solidly armored, with runes across the top. The interior consists of a spectacular array of lights and docking bays. Bentusi Exchanges are considered homes of the Bentusi, and as such are well armed. Exchanges are armed with a trio of forward-facing, continuously firing ion cannons, capable of destroying almost any attacker very quickly. Cargo Barge: A smaller, frigate sized vessel, ejected from a Bentusi Exchange tradeship after a Taiidani force attacks the vessel at Tenhauser Gate. The vessel is promptly destroyed by Taiidani vessels, annihilating whatever precious technology or escaping crew was sequestered onboard. As it's name suggests, the Cargo Barge was most likely to be used normally for transporting resources or technology between other ships. Super Acolyte: The Bentusi Super-Acolyte is an incredibly powerful strike-craft, featuring a pair of small ion cannons (most likely a prelude to the Pulsars and Lance Beams as seen in Homeworld 2). The protocols for building Super-Acolytes were transferred to the Somtaaw in the last level of Homeworld: Cataclysm, in a sort of 'deus ex machina'. Realistically, the Super Acolyte would simply be called the Acolyte by the Bentusi. Harbor Ship: Unlike the Bentusi Exchange, only one Harbor Ship, Bentus, the flagship of the Bentusi, was ever built. It acted as the heart and soul of the Bentusi fleet and played a key role through the Homeworld Saga, although it only made an appearance in Homeworld 2. This massive ship houses the Bentusi far-jumper, and is the same ship that led Bentusi fleets to battle in the First Time. After the Vaygr begin their ruthless conquest of the galaxy, the Bentusi sacrificed themselves by scuttling Bentus to destroy the ruthless Keepers of Sajuuk, thus saving the Pride of Hiigara so that the Hiigaran fleet could destroy the Vaygr once and for all. The explosion of Bentus, however, didn't destroy the First Core, allowing the Hiigarans to salvage it, and later use it to reawaken Sajuuk. Many fans speculate as to whether this was the true end of the Bentusi; it is implied during the events of Homeworld: Cataclysm that many Bentusi vessels fled beyond the galaxy. Side Note: The Harbor Ship is also a common target of modders, who tend to add weapon "hard-points" onto it's model, thus allowing Bentus to be capable of attacking enemies and defending itself better. Planet Killers/Orbital Surface Bombardment Platform: At the end of Homeworld 2, the Hiigaran fleet led by Karan S'jet (installed in Sajuuk's ship) encounters three of these ancient giant star-shaped machines as they are fending off the last Vaygr forces battling the beleaguered Hiigaran Defense Fleet. It is not known where in the Galaxy the Vaygr Warlord Makaan has unearthed these machines, but, obviously, these ships serve as the game's final "bosses." They all appear simultaneously during the middle of the mission, and Kushan Fleet Intelligence notes that they have Bentusi technological hallmarks on them. Fleet Intelligence then orders the player to attack the Planet Killers with Sajuuk itself as the Planet Killers are impervious to conventional weaponry. Players must hurry to destroy these machines as the Planet Killers are launching a constant barrage of Low Orbit Atmosphere Deprivation Missiles, the same ones used by the Taiidan in the first Homeworld game to incinerate much of Kharak. If the population meter drops below 10 million (?) the player fails the mission, but thankfully, the missiles are easily destroyed by squadrons of interceptors. Originally, the Homeworld team meant for these ships to be a part of the "Tiamat" or "T-MAT" race in the first game, but due to graphical and technical limitations at the time they could not include the Planet Killer model. Voices The voice of the Bentusi throughout Homeworld, Homeworld Cataclysm and Homeworld 2 is voiced by Campbell Lane. Behind the Scenes *The Bentusi seem to be similar to the ancient traders in the Mediterranean known as the Qart'hadast or simply called 'the Phoenicians'. The Phoenicians were a strong force to be dealt with, in comparison with the Bentusi. The Port of Qarthage is more of a horse shoe shaped structure for holding more Triremes as well as others, the Great Harbor Ship of Bentus looks strikingly the same as well as it's main purpose to trade & build. Appearances *''Homeworld'' *''Homeworld: Cataclysm'' *''Homeworld 2'' Sources *''Homeworld'' *''Homeworld: Cataclysm'' *''Homeworld 2'' *Homeworld 2 strategy guide External Links *Original Wikipedia article Category:Species